Richmond Magazine / Food News August 12-17

Transitions

Tazza Kitchen debuted on the scene in 2013 and in just five years (they’ll mark their anniversary in September) they’ve transformed into a mini-chain with six locations along the East Coast, while still embracing locally sourced goods and smoking thousands of pounds of meat in house for those famous brisket tacos. With growth, however, comes change: The restaurant launched Big Kitchen Hospitality earlier this week, an umbrella holding company for Tazza Kitchen and the forthcoming Big Kitchen — imagine a Brew Thru-style business, but instead of beer, there’s a variety of prepackaged food made daily that you can grab and go for a lazy night or even call ahead for scheduled home delivery. New Executive Chef Danielle Goodreau, a Richmond native, makes her debut soon and will assist in recipe development for The Big Kitchen. Goodreau, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Chicago and a onetime chef in San Francisco, also worked at the former Rancho T under Tuffy Stone and Ed Vasaio and at The Sharper Palate. “She’s got a great palate, understands unique flavors that are also accessible and delicious, and I think her knowledge of how you translate a recipe into something that feeds a lot of people and works well is really important” says Susan Davenport, Tazza Kitchen co-founder. “We’re also excited to bring on a female chef.”